Scars
by TheLionKingAus
Summary: *Spoilers* Nick accidentally hurts Judy and it makes things uncomfortable.
1. Chapter 1

Judy and her new partner Nick were sitting to in the ZPD squad car, waiting.

"So what's the suspect look like again, Carrots?" Nick asked.

Judy sighed and rolled her eyes at the nickname. "A giraffe, long scar across his neck, green eyes."

"Something tells me we won't get a good look of his eyes." Nick chuckled.

"Nick...please..." Judy pleaded.

Nick smirked. "Wow, you've stopped being fun on duty."

"It's just the last time we goofed off on duty, the suspect almost got away!"

"Cheetahs are natural runners, we wouldn't have been able to catch up with her anyway." Nick commented. Judy huffed. "Hey, come on, where's the Carrots I know and love?"

He pawed at her face and she tried to withhold a giggle. "Nick...stop..."

He noticed a smile starting to crack on her face and pawed more.

"Stop..." She said again, this time unable to hold in her giggles. "St-Ow!"

Startled Nick pulled back,his claws were streaked with blood. He panicked and looked over to see Judy holding her blood stained cheek.

"J-Judy I-I'm sorry." Nick stuttered out.

Judy lifted her paw from her cheek and looked horrified.

She remembered when she was nine again, how Gideon clawed her face in spite. Although she knew this was accident, she still felt terrified. Slowly Judy shifted her eyes to the fox and her breath hitched involuntarily.

"Come on...We should go back." Nick said, gently, putting a paw on her shoulder. He pulled away when this action made her flinch.

They sat in an uncomfortable silence as Judy drove back to ZPD.

 **Sorry this chapter was short, but the next one will be longer.**


	2. Chapter 2

Clawhauser was excitedly watching the new Gazelle video on his phone when the two came in. He'd only seen them out of the corner of his eye, so he didn't notice anything was wrong.

"Hey guys! Did you see the new Gazelle video?" He asked. "Look, she-"

He turned his phone to show them, but when he saw Judy he dropped his phone, put his paws to his mouth and gasped. "Oh no! Judy what happened!?"

"It's fine." Judy said, hoping to calm him down. Unfortunately for her she winced as she said this. "It was just a little accident. I-"

"She got clawed by a predator." Nick said, his voice unusually serious.

Judy looked over to him uneasily before looking back to Clawhauser. "I just need to get it cleaned up."

"Are you sure you don't need to see the doctor?" Clawhauser asked worriedly.

"No it's not that deep of a cut." Judy said, heading to the bathroom.

"Do you think she'll be okay? It might get infected!" He panicked.

Nick was silent as looked back at the blood on his claws. He exhaled sharply, and without answering Clawhauser, he left.

…...

In the bathroom Judy scrunched up a paper towel, dampened it, and dabbed at her cheek, gritting her teeth from the stinging. _I just need to get some antibiotic on it. There, the bleeding stopped._

She frowned as she looked at it. Maybe it was a little bit deeper than she thought. Judy sighed before exiting the bathroom.

"Ready to go home partner?" Judy asked. The two of them usually carpooled, in fact most partners did.

Nick looked uncomfortable and awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "Uh...I'm thinking of just walking today, you know to clear my head."

"Oh.." Judy's ears folded down. "Well I'll see you tomorrow."

Nick nodded once before going off.

When Judy got home she spread out on her bed and sighed. _Well tomorrow's another day, right?_

…...

The next day Nick sat next to Judy aas usual while Chief Bogo passed out the assignments. Judy noticed he'd been oddly quiet. Usually he'd be cracking jokes or lightly teasing her, but today he just sat there, looking straight ahead and listening intently.

Judy was hoping when they got on patrol things would be all right again. Catching that giraffe was more important than that accident, right?

"Wilde, you'll be scoping out a robbery at the jewelry shop on the east side of town. Hopps, you'll-"

"Wait." Judy interrupted. "You're splitting us up?" 

Nick picked up his file and hurried out, not wanting to see what happened next. Bogo frowned a bit. "What do you mean Hopps?"

"He's my partner, why are you-?" She stopped as she watched the chief pull something out of a pile of papers. He placed it in front of her.

 **Zootopia Police Department Official Dissolving Partnership Form**


	3. Chapter 3

After work Judy waited for Nick, tapping her foot impatiently. _He has some nerve to do that behind my back!_ As angry as she was, deep down she knew she was more hurt than anything. _Why doesn't he want to be my partner anymore?_

Judy paced back and and fourth, but she tripped over someone's tail and hit the ground. She groaned a bit and looked at what tripped her. _That tail...I'd recognize it anywhere!_ She grabbed it and Nick let out a yelp of pain. He looked down and froze when he saw Judy gripping his tail.

"Wilde! We need to talk!" Judy said.

"..Please...just let go of my tail." Nick said, trying to sound calm.

"Why did you dissolve our partnership without telling me!?"

Nick sighed. "...I'm sorry, I just think we need some...space..."

"Why?" Judy sounded completely confused.

"I hurt you..." He said.

"Nick!" Judy huffed, standing up. "Why can't you let it go? It was an accident, we need to get over it."

Nick frowned and looked at his claws again. Even though the blood was washed off yesterday, he still felt guilty. He'd been berating himself for not being more careful with her. "...Sorry Carrots...I think some space will be good."

He left, leaving Judy speechless.


End file.
